Re: Thoughts on Veldtgrunt-- SG2 Zulu Wars

In message <F4ExvWvqzAoa2JB1ndc00000121@hotmail.com>, "Peter Mancini"
writes:
> They were .45???!!!! Holy Freaking Shoe Shine!  I imagine it left many
a Red 
> Coat with a sore shoulder!  And many a Zulu village less one Brave.
> 
> I reverse myself then - these guns were killers.  How many rounds a
minute 
> could one get off?  How long did it take to reload?

>From the Colonial list on egroups.com (a much fun place), they say the
optimum was 6 shots a minute.

The South African historian in the list gave an account of a unit's
leader being shot rousing the unit to charge approx. 100 yards through
two volleys and then independant fire to close with the British.  
(uMcijo and iNgobamakhosi amabutho)  Say, 20 seconds to charge 100
yards, and at least 3 shots off in succession, so that sounds about
right.

I have DEFINITELY got to work on my confidence table. ;)

(Of COURSE it was .45!!  Go watch Zulu again.  "If it was a miracle,
Colour Sergeant Bourne, then it was a forty-five caliber miracle."
"An' a bayonet, too, suh!  Wi' a bit o' guts behin' it.")

(Mind you, I saw later M-H models were recalibrated to .303, leading to,
I believe, the great quote from "Breaker Morant," "They were executed
under rule three-oh-three!")